Chapter 96:
[tn content="You are the Cause by Which I Die"] Quote by Geoffrey Chaucer, Knight's Tale [/tn]
Charlotte helped guide concerned guests out of the emptying ballroom, reassuring them with gentle assurance and little laughs, easing the tension of the present company.
"It's just how young men are! They always like to play pranks on each other! And the more inappropriate the situation, the better!" Charlotte said with a laugh as she walked more guests to the ballroom doors, "Please let the servants guide you to your rooms. We will speak more tomorrow morning!"
As the startled guests nodded along with Charlotte's gentle suggestions, hypnotized by her soft voice and gentle manners, they were soothed into a sense of calm. They nodded in appreciation as they followed the waiting servants, Charlotte waving them goodbye with a serene smile.
"My lady." A low voice muttered behind her, drawing her flat, cold eyes to the side.
"My knight, prompt as always." Charlotte said with a smile, turning towards her knight as she opened her fan, which dangled comfortably from a rope around her wrist. His hands were tight to his sides, his usually plain expression now dour. Charlotte continued to smile, but she could feel her heart begin to race. She had sent her knight to find out what had happened, since the queen and king left immediately after the commotion began, "Let's go somewhere a bit quieter."
Charlotte led the way to a quieter corner, away from prying eyes. Charlotte could hardly contain her anger after she had been slighted by her soon-to-be in-laws, who left without saying a word to her, leaving her to clean up the mess their son and her fiancé had left.
Charlotte was incensed, but she refused to show her anger in front of her guests. Among the many bodies present, enemies' eyes were littered throughout the crowd.
No weaknesses. Charlotte thought to herself, her fan brought up to her lips to cover her scowl, "How is my fiancé? He ran off without a word."
"He is being tended to at the moment, Your Majesty." The knight muttered, his voice low enough so only she could hear.
Charlotte stopped walking, turning around as her eyes widened, "'Tended to?' How so?"
"It seems in the earlier outburst, the crown prince was accidentally pushed into a wall and hit his head. He was returned to his room, and the royal physician is now tending to him." The knight said, his eyes locking onto Charlotte's.
"And no one could spare the time to tell me?" Charlotte seethed, keeping her voice low so no straying ears would hear her.
"I can only assume they thought it best you remained here, comforting the guests as the crown prince's fiancée."
Charlotte laughed sharply, turning away from her knight as she scowled in disgust, "So, where is my dear fiancé now? In his room, I suppose?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Then it's only right as his fiancée that I tend to him." Charlotte said, an urbane smile returning to her pursed lips. Charlotte lowered her fan, letting the light weight pull her wrist down to her side, "We should go quickly then. I'm sure the servants can handle the rest."
Her knight bowed, "I will follow you, Your Highness."
…
"Yes, he is now resting, Your Majesty." The door creaked open. The voice grew louder as footsteps approached the bed, "Other than a shallow cut, he does not appear to have any other injuries. He will be lightheaded, since he was bleeding, but with rest, that should pass."
"And the assailant?" The queen asked, her voice hushed, as to not wake the sleeping prince in front of them.
"We are doing everything in our power to find them, Your Majesty." Another voice, meek in front of the queen's overwhelming presence.
The queen sighed, "And the guests?"
"All guided to their rooms for the night. Brushed off as a simple prank for the newlyweds."
"Good." The queen stated, "And the young man who attended to my son?"
"That would be my humble self, Your Majesty." Earnest said, his voice slightly muffled with his downturned head.
"I give you my deepest gratitude, young man." The queen said solemnly, "It seems I should keep you close to my son's side, since this is the second time you have saved his life."
"I-I am honored, Your Majesty." Earnest fumbled, embarrassed, "But I am only doing as my training dictates. Any trained physician could have treated the crown prince when he was poisoned or injured. I was just there at the right time."
"You are simply too humble." The queen said, her voice lifting as she smiled, "Royal physician, keep this young man close to you. Not many men are this gifted. It would be a waste not to use his talents."
"I agree, Your Majesty. That is why I took him in as one of my apprentices. He has indeed flourished under the training."
"Continue to do as you have, young man, and you will soon learn the benefits of aiding the royal family." The queen said, her voice sounding odd, "Since the prince is still resting, I will take my leave. Please alert me immediately when he awakens."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
The door soon opened, then shut.
Then silence took over the room.
"You'd do well to distance yourself from them, young man." The royal physician mumbled, his voice frail and old, but his words biting.
"What was that?" Earnest asked, not catching the old man's whispered words.
"Nothing, nothing." The royal physician said, his annoyance dripping through his tone, "We need to change the prince's bandages. Give me a hand."
Earnest felt a chill fall down his spine as he took the fresh roll of bandages from the physician and began to unravel the old ones around Clarence's head, full of flowery red blotches of blood. As the bandages fell from the prince's head, the prince's eyes slowly opened, startling the palace physician and Earnest, who faced the prince directly.
"How long have I been asleep?" Clarence asked in a strangely clear voice, his blue eyes dimmed. With his left hand, Clarence pushed Earnest's hands away that had begun to wind his clean bandages around his forehead. With a turn of his legs, the prince pushed aside the blankets and prepared to stand up, startling the physician and Earnest, who were desperate to keep the prince in one place while they provided care for him.
"Prince Clarence, you shouldn't be standing. You may injure yourse-" As Earnest attempted to stop Clarence from standing, Clarence did not say a word in protest. He instead slowly turned his head, facing the physician's apprentice.
The physician did not see the prince's face, but Earnest could not look away. His face paled as the tips of his fingers trembled, causing him to drop the roll of bandages in his hand as it rolled to the ground, tapping against his knee on its way down.
Clarence's eyes were deep, dark blue, dark as the deepest depths of the Vartien Sea. Blood dripped down the side of his face, but it was as if the prince did not feel it. Neither smiling nor frowning, the prince's face was shadowed by such a dark, demonic rage that the dark energy around him sank in the air, making it hard for those around him to breathe. Though the bandage had been applied to the back of his head and wrapped around his forehead, the wound had yet to stop bleeding as blood continued to drip down the back of his head, staining his color with red.
"Where is he?" Clarence asked, his hot breath like a dragon's fiery breath against Earnest's pale face.
Earnest's stomach sank, immediately realizing whom the he Clarence was referring to was, "I-I'm sorry, Your Majesty." Earnest stammered, his hands hanging in the air.
"Your Majesty, the kingdom's knights are some of the best within the world. They will find whoever you are looking for." The royal physician said, his voice calm and soothing, as he bent down and picked up the bandage roll that had slid to the ground, "Now, please lay back down. Moving around like this will inflame your injury."
The royal physician approached Clarence's side, his moves practiced from many years of calming Clarence's tantrums, "May we reapply your bandages, Your Majesty?"
Clarence did not move a single muscle. It was as if he were a robot, frozen in place by rust and time, unable to move his frozen joints.
"Move." Clarence managed to whisper.
"Your Majesty?" The royal physician asked curiously, glancing over at Earnest, who's eyebrows were furrowed in discomfiture.
"Move out of my way!" Clarence suddenly shouted, springing to life as he jumped up from the bed. Earnest and the royal physician jumped back in alarm and fright as the prince grabbed his sheathed sword that rested against his nightstand.
"Your Majesty! What are you doing?!" Earnest cried, his face contorted with alarm.
"Guards! Guards!" The royal physician screamed out, "The crown prince is delirious! We must restrain him!"
Without waiting another moment, Clarence ran as fast as his body would carry him, dashing out the doors of his room, down the emptied halls like a startled cat. The more he ran, the lighter and faster his body felt, as if the universe itself was attempting to help him pursue his destiny. The red string tied between him and that bastard elf was becoming shorter and shorter, and soon, the man would be in his grasp.
The prince wanted to make the elf bruised and bloody, weakly standing without a dash of hope as he stood on the very same wooden platform he tried to kill him as a young child. So much so, Clarence felt an insatiable hunger, a horrible ache. With that same fated red string that kept pulling them together, he would wind the rope tighter and tighter, hugging the pale elf's slender neck until his windpipe was severed. He would hang him like an ornament, a victory prize he had well deserved and showcased to the world.
He would be the victor in this scenario, he would win.
Carrying those thoughts, Clarence stopped at the back exit of the palace. He knew where that sly little elf would go. He had come to save his family, who was locked away, deep in the palace's dungeon. Once that bastard had them, he would have to hurry to the stable, where all of the horses were kept. There was no other place he could keep enough horses to make their escape without arousing suspicion.
Where is Theo?! Clarence seethed, pushing himself forward as hard as his body would allow, He was supposed to capture that elf as soon as he came to the palace! Useless! He thought to himself as he ran, his face full of determination.
His footsteps echoed down the long halls.
…
Outside of the palace, near the stables, a small group of knights were ordered to survey the area before they were able to receive the order from their superiors to chase the unknown carriage carrying the elven family.
Captain Laurent was the first to the back of the palace, but he only sniffed the air and paused before he said to the nearest knight in his command, "Wait here. Do not let the prince leave the palace without my word." There was no word from the physician on the prince's condition, but Beau was well aware of the prince's strange fixation on the elf. Even in his poor condition, it was likely the prince would make his way to the dungeon soon.
Beau was quick to run to the dungeon, leaving the group of knights to defend the back of the palace. Though the knights were not unfamiliar with the prince's poor attitude, they were prepared to do as much as they could to follow their captain's orders while keeping the skin on their hides safe. Watching the prince with wary eyes, they delayed to act until they were sure of the prince's next move.
Not far from the guards, Clarence had made his way to the stables after discovering the dungeon was empty. He was enraged, and he knew he had to hurry if he did not want to lose his elf again.
"Give me a horse." Clarence said, still wearing his formal uniform as he approached the stable hand, a young man in his thirties. Due to the suddenness of the prince's request the man could only stutter before he bowed his head in a formal greeting and attempted to say,
"Y-your Majesty-"
"I said give me a horse. Are you deaf?" The prince's words became increasingly vicious as his volatile attitude came to light. "Or should I have you hanged for treason?" Clarence looked down at the shorter man, his eyes glowing blue like orbs, holding an insurmountable pressure in them.
The stable hand could only tremble as he stepped back, opening the gates to the small stable to allow one of the stronger, more equipt horses out of the pen and towards Clarence. The saddle had already been placed on the horse long ago, most likely to prepare the horse to take a trip out of the palace, however that person would never receive the horse, as the prince had already laced his fingers around the leather fabric of the lead and pulled the horse towards himself, the darkness in his expression growing.
The releasing of the horses caught the guards attention, who shouted in shock and horror as they realized who was standing with the horses. The knights raced to join the prince's side, but they were unable to follow the prince's pace as he lifted his leg into the stirrup and tapped the sides of the horse, urging it forward. Clarence kept his burning gaze forward and ignored the nearby knights attempting to stop him, who requested only a moment's notice to follow him. There was no such pause as Clarence hurried past the gathered men and entered the decaying forest, his shadow quickly disappearing from view.
Captain Laurent's return was not long after the prince's departure, and as he approached the disordered stables at the back of the palace, his face fell as he knowingly stared at the surrounding knights.
"Did the prince leave the palace?" He asked in an irritated voice, maintaining some semblance of composure as his dark eyes flashed, full of annoyance at the young, impatient prince.
A nearby knight approached the captain and said with a bow, "Yes, Captain Laurent. We were unable to stop the prince. He went into the woods this way." The man pointed, his expression full of anxiety, knowing a punishment was soon to come for his and his fellow knights' incompetence.
"Captain!" A woman shouted from the distance, her small feet pounding against the path as she raced to the knights, "Was that the crown prince that just left on the horse?" She tried to maintain her composure, but her face was flush, her breathing unsteady as she attempted to catch her breath. Behind her was an imposingly large knight.
Beau recognized them right away.
Beau bowed deeply as he answered, "Yes, Your Highness. I will personally go and retrieve him myself."
"Doesn't he have a head injury? Why did no one stop him?!" Charlotte cried, exasperated.
"No one can stop the crown prince once his mind is set, Your Highness. Even if all of my men held him down, the prince would find a way to escape us." Beau remarked coolly, lifting his head.
"Then don't just stand here! Follow him!" Charlotte cried, looking off into the forest, panicked. The guards bowed deeply before racing to the horses a guard supplied, launching themselves onto their saddles before they raced off in the direction Clarence had gone. Charlotte could only watch all of this happen, her face scrunched with worry and anger as she glared at the dark forest, "What set him off to the forest anyway?"
The group of knights was quick to saddle their horses, listening to Beau's command as the group traveled down the path together, their faces dark as the approaching forest.
…
Silas was exhausted, but he was able to keep his energy in tow, his expression full of joy as he looked at his family, safe, sound, and by his side once again. Not much had been said during the initial departure, but the shock slowly began to wear off, and the scenes in front of him could no longer be considered his imagination.
As the carriage ride continued, it began to rain once again, this time, bringing icy cold winds and freezing temperatures. The coach outside of the carriage was covered by the low hood of the carriage front and his thick leather coat, but as Silas lightly pushed back the curtain to look at the forest, he felt cold.
When he turned his head back, he saw Cirdan and Aurelia had already fallen asleep, their eyes shadowed by dark circles, ease written all over their faces. They were exhausted, barely sleeping for the fear of being dragged from their cells and swiftly executed before they could be saved. Now, they were surrounded by their family, reunited with their older brother, and inside a comfortable, warm carriage.
Aurelia had fallen asleep first, leaning against Silas's shoulder as she leaned her head on him as she had done when she was little. Silas patted her head gently as he looked towards Cirdan, who had fallen asleep leaning against Aurelia. Like dominoes, the pair leaned against Silas for support as Maeir forced herself to stay awake, enjoying the time she was able to spend with her son after so long.
"Mom, why don't you rest for a bit?" Silas said, his voice quiet not to disturb the twins. His dress had been changed for a simple traveler's outfit that had been prepared by Eva, and his makeup had been washed off with the cool water of his canteen. Silas could still feel the remnants of the thick powder on his face, but in an effort to not waste more water, he let it be, leaving some of the black smudge and blush on his face.
Maeir looked over at the twins before she looked to Silas, rubbing her eyes with one hand as she said, "We're not safe yet. I would rather be awake for the time being."
"You've done enough, Mom. Rest for a while. I'll keep a lookout." Silas said soothingly. Maeir smiled weakly at the thought, realizing how much her young son had grown. She nodded, leaning her head back against the stiff wood of the carriage wall.
Time fell to a quiet lull for some time, and Maeir began to doze off. Eva stepped forward to talk to the coach, but as she approached the man, his face fell grim under the long cover of his hood as he said something to Eva. As he spoke in hushed tones, her face hardened in concern. As she stepped back to the small group, her face was dark.
"It's not certain, but the coach believes we are being tracked by someone." Eva began as she sat down near Silas, speaking quietly as to not disturb the twins, who had dozed off.
"Who?" Silas asked urgently, trying not to move, so he did not wake his finally resting family.
"He isn't sure." Eva said, her face darkening with annoyance and frustration, "And none of you are in much shape to fight."
"Don't worry about me. I can make up for what my family can't do." Silas whispered heatedly.
"Oh, really?" Eva asked coldly, "You aren't low on mana at all? Even though you had to use it extensively these past few days?"
Silas looked away, annoyed, "Yulia gave me some potions to help. I was able to ration them out."
"Silas," Eva sighed, bringing a gloved hand to her forehead. Her blond bangs lifted with her hand, only increasing how tired Eva looked, "I know what you're trying to do. You don't have to pretend."
"Pretend?" Silas scoffed, "Pretend about wh-"
"Lady Eva!" The carriage driver shouted, the panic in his voice alarming Silas and Eva, "It's the palace knights! They're the ones following us!"
"How many?" Eva said back, hurrying to his side as the carriage rocked from the sudden increase of speed.
"It looks like just one for now, but there will be more right behind him."
"Okay," Eva said with a nod, "I can deal with one." Eva hurried to the back of the carriage, ripping away a tarp from two boxes. She yanked the lid up, revealing a set of long, pointed arrows, with small bags at the tip. Silas watched in amazement as Eva then pulled out a bow, fitting the arrow on the bow before she got down on her knee.
"Silas, I need a flame!" Eva shouted, her eyes looking out for the lone guard.
"Right!" Silas dredged up his mana, which had been heavily depleted, to Silas's chagrin, and summoned a small flame to his fingers. Though it was nothing as extraordinary as the things Meredith could do, what Meredith had taught Silas in their time together had taken fruit.
If only Uncle Meredith could see this. Silas thought to himself as he leaned towards Eva, lighting the arrow. As the bag on the arrow's tip burst into flames, a sulfuric smell overwhelmed his nose, causing him to cough. He remembered the horrible stench. When he and Meredith had delivered the gunpowder to Eva, it had the same, horrible smell.
"Watch out!" Eva shouted, drawing back her bow before she fired it at the path, hundreds of feet behind them.
Silas watched in horror as the arrow did nothing. He turned to Eva, shocked by her poor aim, until an explosion sent Silas's arms in front of him, the heat from the explosion licking at his covered arms.
"By the gods!" Maeir shouted, jumping to her feet from her slumber.
"It's alright, Mom." Silas tried to comfort his mother, but she looked past him to Eva, who was unusually silent.
"Dammit, they're still following us." Eva said, looking out to the silent forest, her bow tight in her grip, "These will only stop them for so long. And I can't use all of these arrows. It'll only attract more attention to us." Eva sighed, looking at Silas, then Maeir, "We'll need to prepare for a fight, unfortunately."
"Or we need a distraction." Silas muttered, looking down at his calloused hands.
"No, we will fight!" Maeir shouted, grabbing Silas's arm roughly as she glared it him, "Don't say such stupid things! We just reunited! Only the gods can say if we will ever be reunited again if we separate now!"
"If the knights find us, they'll kill all of us." Silas gritted his teeth as he spoke, attempting to quell his frustration to keep himself level-headed. He sighed, gently placing a hand on his mother's hand, which held his arm in a deadly grip, "And if Eva is captured, the rebellion would be exposed, and countless people could die with us. I can't let that happen."
Eva rose to her feet, keeping the bow in her hand, "Whatever we decide, we need to hurry. The guards will find our trail again very soon." She turned to face Silas and said with a grim expression, "The choice is yours, Silas."
"No, it is not!" Maeir shouted, finally waking the exhausted twins.
"I'm sorry, Mom." Silas said as Maeir stared into her oldest son's eyes. The determination and strength in his eyes shook her, reminding her of herself many years ago. Slowly, she let go of his arm. He took the opportunity to wrap his mother in a tight hug, closing his eyes as she kissed his cheek. Her dry lips scratched his cheek, and Silas smiled, letting himself remember the sensation, in case he never would again.
There was no question what Silas would decide. As much as he wanted to stay with them, he would not allow them to suffer again after separating from them for so long. Their safety was paramount. As the older brother, the oldest child, he wanted to be strong and support his family in any way he could, even if it meant saying goodbye again.
Cirdan stood up abruptly, his eyes red as he yelled, "Don't go, Silas! Let me do it!"
Aurelia grabbed her brother's arm and said, "Cirdan, stop!"
"It's okay, Aurelia." Silas said, placing a hand on Aurelia's shoulder. Silas was still shocked by how much the young girl had grown. Her shoulder was only slightly shorter than his. Silas then turned towards Cirdan, smiling as Cirdan looked down, "It's my fault you were kidnapped. Once they have me, they will let you guys go."
Looking down at his sister, tears began to fill Cirdan's eyes, "I don't want to lose you again, Silas." He choked, tears spilling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry I was mean to you. I was just scared to get hurt. I don't think I can handle it again."
Silas moved to Cirdan's side and gave his brother a hug, wrapping what was once the small child he knew in his arms. He patted the back of his brother's head and closed his eyes, keeping his own tears at bay, "This won't be the end. I'll come back to you all soon. Please take care of mom and Aurelia, just like you have been. It'll only be a little longer, I promise."
While Silas comforted Cirdan, Maeir spoke quietly to Eva, as if she were requesting something from her. As Silas pulled back from his hug, he turned to Aurelia and gave her a big hug, comforting his little sister just the same.
When it came to Maeir, Silas once again wrapped his arms around his mother's thin back and said in a low tone, "I'll be okay. Just worry about getting home, okay?" He choked on his words as he added, "I'll buy us a home in the Faelfier kingdom. It'll be just like we were in the village. And I can introduce you to Adora. You'll love her. She's so much like you." Silas wiped away the falling tears with his finger and stepped away from Maeir, as if strengthening his resolve after saying goodbye again.
It all felt too soon, but Silas knew their safety would not be guaranteed. He would rather lose his life than lose his family again.
Maeir felt the urge to stop Silas from leaving, but Aurelia held her mom's hand, her warm palm providing warmth to her mother's icy fingers. Aurelia's voice shook, but her eyes remained unwavering as she said resolutely, "Don't worry, mom." Her voice was gentle, carrying some traces of dryness. "He'll be okay. You raised him, remember?"
Eva watched the family's interaction in silence, gripping her bow in her hands. When Silas nodded at her, she shouted to the carriage driver to stop.
The carriage slowed to a stop, and the coach had stepped down to the side of the two horses. The man's aged eyes were full of alertness and wariness, as if he knew what was to come after this moment. Eva did not say a word as her eyes fell onto the horses, then to Silas with a knowing gaze. The coach did not ask questions as he began to adjust the carriage, untying the horse to the right with quick and practiced movements, ensuring a quick departure for Silas.
"Silas, wait!" Eva said, jumping out of the carriage and hurrying to his side as he quickly prepared his horse. Eva glanced behind her, scanning the woods once more, before she held out a dagger for him, "Take it. Use it on any guards if you have to." As Silas reached out his hand, taking the hilt of the dagger in his hand, Eva enclosed her hand around his, pulling him towards her as she whispered, "You can also use it if you don't want them to take you alive."
Silas stared into Eva's eyes, shocked by her words. He looked down at the dagger, then back at her before nodding, "Thank you, Eva, but I have a family to come home to now, so that's not an option anymore."
"Then good luck. And may the gods bless you." Eva said, bowing in a traditionally elven fashion before she hurried back to the carriage. The carriage driver watched her do so, flicking the reins with all his might as soon as the carriage doors were closed.
Silas shivered, the cold night air biting at his body. He had no time to ponder the temperature though, since he could hear horse's hooves behind him. Silas jumped onto his horse, taking only a moment to adjust his feet before he raced in a similar direction the carriage was taking, just far enough away that the people following him would be led far away from his family.
Follow me, you bastard. Silas thought to himself, placing his hand on his hip, where his new dagger sat. He clutched the hilt of the dagger, then returned his hand to his reins, pushing his horse forward, farther and farther away from his family.
…
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Thanks for your patience! Did not expect this morning's storm to knock out the power for a while, but it did ;A; Thankfully I was able to get some furniture assembled and wrap up most of chapter 97 for posting soon! I'm hoping that will be up later today, at latest tomorrow morning ==;
Very excited for this whole portion to end. I've spent a lot of time thinking of character relationships, the scenes at the palace to come, and then Clare's mentality as we continue. Expect that yandere tag to hold strong :D
Thank you all for reading with us, and expect to see us again shortly!